Mid-Month Matinees & More on the Central Coast of California!

As we move on toward the middle of August, I hope your plans include taking in a number of the live performance productions that are being presented at some of our theatre venues here on the beautiful California Central Coast!

CORE Dance Company (www.coredanceslo.com) will present Confessions of A Love Junkie at The Spot (116 W Branch St in Arroyo Grande) through August 14.

Unlike any show you've seen before, Confessions of A Love Junkie has it all - dance, comedy, poignancy, and a whole lot of heart.  The story centers around a therapist who specializes in love addiction.  Four of her most eclectic clients take you through beautiful, comical, occasionally painful, and always powerful journeys.  "The Good Girl," "The Player," "The Couple," and "The Fresh Out-Of-The-Closet" Guy create captivating pop culture characters who will make you laugh, cry, and inspire you.  [NOTE: Saw the 8/6 matinee of this production and it is AMAZING!  If you can get a ticket for any of the remaining performances - GO!].

Director Zheila Pouraghabagher, and Co-Creator Suzy Miller, lead a fantastic cast of dancers and actors ranging in age from 17 to age 45+.  The Choreography ranges in style from Hip Hop and tango, to contemporary, Fosse, and jazz.  The dancers keep the pace fabulous and fierce, with multiple guest choreographers, including a finalist from "So You Think You Can Dance," an Emmy Award winner, and several local prestigious artists.

Ticket prices: $18, general seating.  Email or call for tickets: coredance.cc@gmail.com or 805-541-2669 (cash or check only).  The show is recommended for ages 16 and up with some mature themes and costumes.

To help celebrate Arroyo Grande's Centennial, South County Historical Society (SCHS) is producing "100 Years of People - Stories from our Past," a series of Readers' Theatre programs, each an hour long, adapted from historic writings about the life of Clara Edwards, born in 1855 to missionary parents in Indian Territory. Clara's childhood years turn her into an educated and adventurous woman, who arrives in Arroyo Grande in 1883. 

"The Old Days:" Performance: Saturday, August 20 at 2 PM.

Sorcerer Productions' Little Shop of Horrors (https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137142626372228#!/event.php?eid=219102174797618) will run through August 28 on the Clark Center main stage in Arroyo Grande.  Next up in their first full season of shows will be Arsenic and Old Lace - auditions August 14 & 15, performances October 7-23.  Contact Natalia Berryman NO LATER THAN August 12 to set up an audition time at info@sorcererproductions.org or by phone at 805-328-4837.

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Joe Chavira's Unity Shoppe Concert on September 3, Rudolf Budginas in Concert Featuring Kenny Lee Lewis on September 17, and the Kingston Trio on October 9.

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) is presenting The Beverly Hillbillies Murder Mystery through September 4 at the Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach.  Auditions for The Addams Family Reunion will be held the week of August 8 (performances October 2 - November 6).  Please contact Judie Kewish at judie@murderinmind.com or call her at (805) 489-3875 to set up an audition appointment and for further information.

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) current schedule includes opportunities to hone your musical theatre audition skills (August 13 & 14 with Daniel Witzke) or attend a week at GLEE Camp (August 15-19 with Daniel Witzke, Michael Jenkinson and Sarah Brookell).  Contact ACT Coordinator, Kerry DiMaggio, at (805) 781-3889 X 14 for more information.

PLUS - on September 5, 6 & 12, Reach the Sky, an evening of songs by what may well be some of Broadway's future songwriters, will be presented.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) was proud to present From Main Street to 42^nd Street on August 13, featuring Jacque Carnahan.  Stay tuned for what's next!   

Curt Miner received his degree in theatre from Northern Arizona University and has been involved in theatre, educationally and professionally, for nearly 40 years now. He is currently Pastor of the United Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo, CA (www.sloucc.org), where he founded a theatre outreach ministry known as The God Is Still Speaking Players (check them out on Facebook). Their first production was the West Coast Premiere of a new play by Gordon Greene (one of Curt's former theatre professors from back at NAU) entitled "The Scopes Monkey Trial: What Really Happened" in October of 2008. Curt and his wife of 35 years, Linda, worked together as Director and Music Director on a production of "Godspell" June 2009. The group presented a readers' theatre production of Archibald MacLeish's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play "J.B." November 2009, participated in a collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions in a staged reading of "12 Angry Men" in February 2010, presented "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" the first 2 weekends of September 2010, embarked upon another collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions of a staged reading of Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood" in November 2010, presented a readers' theatre production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" the first weekend this past March, mounted a production of "Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree" the first 2 weekends of September, and presented "Celebration In Song" - a musical variety show to benefit the work of GALA and PFLAG in November. A readers' theatre presentation (possibly "Our Town") or another musical revue will be presented this coming March, with "Snoopy" (sequel to YAGMCB) on the schedule for the first 2 weekends in September. When people ask him "Why a theatre outreach ministry?" Curt tells them "I have found that theatre is sometimes able to touch a person's heart and soul more deeply than the best crafted worship experience ... that's why."

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